Rotary engine.



J. G. OLSEN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED OGT. 17, 1911.

Patented July 8, 1913.

FIG. 2

ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co.`.wAsmNuToN. D. c.

tlNlTE @if AET FICE.

JOHN C. OLSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO P. MCARTHUR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

roem ao.

T0 all fr0/0m @'25 may concern .Be it known that I, JoiiN C. OLSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to engines of the rotary type.

@ne of the several objects of my invention is to provide a construction wherein excessive friction is obviated.

Another object is simplicity of construction, which is one of the mest important considerations in connection with the adoption of engines for use in aerial navigation.

A still further object is to overcome vibratory movements which cause wear and tear of the machinery and unpleasant noises. But the several. improvements of my invention will perhaps appear more fully from a detailed description of the one form of embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and my invention therefore consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the drawing and incorporated in the appended claims.

In the drawing-hgure l is substantially a medial vertical section taken longitudinally of the shaft, showing the inlet-ports in the fly-wheel in full lines and the outlet ports, also in the fly-wheel, in dotted lines, parts being broken away to show the springs which actuate the packing rings. Fig. Q is a section taken substantially on line www of Fig. l.

In my improved engine the piston or abritment, or the movable part against which the steam acts, is relieved of the usual frictionengagement with the walls of the steam or expansion chamber, these walls moving, as it were, with the piston. The steam expansion chamber is of crescent form and .is formed between the inner periphery of an annular fly-wheel. and outer periphery of a wheel mounted within said fly-wheel which term the idler. The latter rotates on an independent axis or shaft, which, of course, must be arranged laterally of the fly-wheel shaft in order to produce t-he crescent-shaped steai'n-space referred to. The idler shaft is stationary and the idler rotates about it. This shaft is in the forni of an inwardly pro- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 17, 1911.

Patented July 8, 1913. Serial No. 655,177.

jecting hub formed on the engine casing. This hub is hollow and through same passes the ily-wheel shaft which is keyed to the flywheel. The space within the hub forming the idler-bearing is larger in cross-section than the cross-section of the fly-wheel shaft, and the space between the latter and the walls of the hub is used as a steam-port. The axes of the fly-wheel and idler are therefore eccentric to each other, but the eccentricity is a fixed one. The piston or abutment against which the steam acts to produce motion, forms a bridge or wall through the steam-space and connects the idler and Afly-wheel, and owing to the eccentricity of the axes of these two elements any diametrical line of the one cannot be parallel with a given di ametrical line of the other except in the plane of two diametrically opposite points in the path of movement of said wall, abutment or piston. Hence provision must be made for tangential or angular movement of the latter with relation to the idler.

Referring in detail to the several views of the drawing. These views show an engine having the above-described parts substantially duplicated, the duplication as to the fly wheel consisting in the provision in a single wheel for several pistons and steam expansion chambers.

The casing of the engine consists of a cylindrical body 2, which is preferably a casting. The ends of this cylinder are closed by end-plates B and 4 secured to the body 2 by means of lag-screws Cast integrally with the casing-ends 3 and 4 are outwardly projecting hubs 6 and 7 and inwardly projecting hubs S and 9. Between the ends of the latter sufficient space is provided to snugly receive the web l0 of a Ilywheel having a rim l1 which extends beyond `both sides of the web, these extensions being in the nature of annular flanges on the web which, with the opposite sides of said web, form circular receptacles. lVitliin the latter are mounted annular disks which I term idlers l2 and 18. These idlers are of smaller diameter than the circular spaces formed by the rim ll, and saine are mounted in their recesses or pockets so that the lower parts of their outer peripheries rest upon the corresponding parts of the inner peripheries of the fiy-wheel rim or flanges. When thus mounted crescent-sl'niped spaces it and l5 are formed between the idlers and ily-wheel rim. These spaces are the steam expansion chambers of the engine. The hubs 6 and 7 ser've as bearings for the driving-shaft 18, for which purpose' said hubs have shaft-bores 16 and 17. This driving shaft 18 is keyed to the fly-wheel through hubs 19 and 20 which project from its web 10 into bores 21 and 22 formed within the hubs 6 and 8 and 7 and 9. The y-wheel hubs 19 and 2O fill those portions of the spaces 21 and 22 which they enter with the exception of Hattened portions on the hubs between which and the walls of the bores steam-ports 23 and 24, on one side, and 25 and 26 on the other side of the fly-wheel are provided. The outer surfaces of the inwardly projecting hubs 8 and 9 are turned and form bearings for the idlers. Between these bearings and the inner peripheries of the idlers endless chains 27 and 28 of antifriction rollers are interposed. As shown in both views of the drawing, the shaft 18 and the bearings for the rollers 27 and 28 are eccentric to each other, which eccentric arrangement forms the crescent-shaped steam chambers 1 4 and 15 referred to.

Through the sides of the hubs 6 and 7 are formed steam-ports 29 and 30 which communicate with the spaces 21 and 22. One of these serves as the steam-inlet port while the other serves as the exhaust-port. Into the bores 29 and 30 are threaded nipples 31 and 32. The upper ends of these nipples have thereon threads 33 and 34 adapted to receive a reducing collar 35 having a nipple 36 which may be connected with the live steam inletepipe (not shown), the construction of the engine being such that each of the open-V ings 29 and 30 may be used either as the inlet or as the exhaust, or, in other words, so that the engine may be reversed. Both the inlet and the exhaust port are therefore made large enough to serve as the exhaust portl and the differentiation as to size is accomplished by using the reducing collar, or other equivalent.

The most at vantageous arrangement for changing the inlet-port into an exhaust-portquickly for the purpose of instantaneous reversing are not shown, as these features form no partof the present invention.

The idlers are completely inclosed in their recesses or chambers (save for the steamports) by plates 37 and 38v which are fastened by screws 39 to the fly-wheel cylinder rim or web-Hanges 11. Leakages of steam from the steam-spaces 14 and 15 are prevented by packing-rings 40 and 41 which are held against the side-plates 37 and 38 and the web 10 by means ofV springs 40 and 41 held in recesses 43 and 44 in the sides of the idlers. In F ig. 1, at 43 and 44, the engine is broken away to the opposite side to disclose these springs 40 and 41. On the peripheries of the idlers are packing shoes 42 ery of the rim 11 are secured a pair of pistons 47 and 48 which extend into the idlers and operate in the usual manner of engines of vthis type. A description of the parts associated with one ofthese pistons will suffice for both, the arrangements being identical for both pistons.

The projecting end of each piston rests in al recess 52 in its idler, which recess is of a suiiicient depth to permit the piston to move its projecting portion entirely into the idler. The piston is preferably forked by a slot 53 and this slot is engaged by a screw 54 having threaded engagement or support at one end in the web of the fly-wheel and having its other or head end supported in the face plate, which is 37, in one case and 38 in the other, as shown in Fig. 1. This screw 54 assists in supporting the piston in its fixed relation relative to the `fly-wheel. As the axes of the idler and fly-wheel are not concentric and the piston, therefore, moves in a circle which is eccentric to the idler circle of movement, the piston will be out of radius with the axis of the idler and out of alinement with the imaginary line passing through both the idler and fly-wheel axes. This dis-alinement will greatly increase as the piston moves to the right or left (Fig. 2) until it'has reached a point atI right angles to the said imaginary lines (a vertical axial line) after which the piston will gradually move toward radial alinement with the idler center. Provision is made for this angular movement of the piston relative to the idler by mounting its inner end for both longitudinal and angular movement between the sides of two semi-cylindrical rollers and 56 the curved sides of which are mounted in correspondingly curved recesses in the sides of the slot or space 52 provided for the endwise movement of the piston. Thus the piston moves angularly on the curved bearing surfaces of the semi-cylindrical bearing rollers, 55 and 56, and longitudinally or slidably on the iiat surfaces of said bearing members 55 and 56.

Referring, now, to the inlet and exhaust ports, immediately leading to and from the steam spaces, the steam passage 23, which is of segmental form in cross section, as shown in Fig. 2, extends a short distance into the web 10 of the fly-wheel in the form of a passage 23. At right angles to the lat-ter and radially, with respect to the axis of the fly` wheel, is a passage 57 that extends to the rim of the ily-wheel and thence leads into the steam space let through a second transverse or horizontal opening 58 which is substantially similar to the opening 23. The exhaust passages for the steam space 14 are similarly arranged, but on the opposite side of the piston, as shown best in Fig. 2. The exhaust passage consists of a transverse or horizontal passage 59 leading from the space 14 into a radial passage (50 in the web of the fly-wheel and this radial passage (S0 has its outlet into a horizontal outlet passage G1. The latter leads into the segmental passage 25 within the hub 9 through the passage 22 and the nipple 32 to the atmosphere. For the opposite side of the engine, or the ports associated with the idler 18, the arrangement is substantially identical, but reverse as to the position of the piston and its ports. The steam inlet for the expansion chamber 15 is substantially a continuation of the passage 57 to the diametrically opposite side of the wheel where the annular passage 21 and the segmental passage 211 lead into a short passage 24 that is identical with the passage 23. The passage 24 leads into a radial passage G2 which corresponds to the passage 57, and said passage G2 conveys the live steam into a transverse passage G3 leading into the steam space 15. The exhaust passages tor the steam space 15 are a transverse passage 64 indicated by dotted lines (which corresponds with the passage 59 for the steam space 14), and a radial passage 65 leading back toward the axis of the fly-wheel where it finally exhausts through a short horizontal passage 6G into the central passages 26 and 22.

11s will be seen by reference to Fig. 2, the steam space 1% (and likewise the steam space 15) is divided by the piston 47 and the junction of the idler rim with the {ly-wheel rim into virtually two steam chambers, the one to the left being in Fig. 2 the live steam chamber, and the one to the right being the exhaust chamber. For the sake oit convenienc-e the latter is distinguished by being labeled 14, while the former is labeled 14. lt the port- 59 is used as the inlet port and the port 5S is used as the exhaust the chamber 1st would be the live steam chamber and the chamber 14 the exhaust chamber. Assuming that the port 5S is the live steam inlet port, then the ily-wheel and idler will be rotated toward the right and the live steam chamber will (in the absence ot a cutol valve-mechanism, not shown) continue to receive steam continuously .trom the moment port 58 begins to open at the lower or contracted end of the space 14, which would be (looking at Fig. 2) substantially in the position labeled (l-t, using this ligure to represent the front side oit the view, until said port 5S reaches its lowest point on the opposite side, 'for which purpose G3 may be used, applied to the front side, as indicating said position. In this position the idler serving as a cut-ott valve begins to close the port 58; that is, the said port is closed by the inner side of the idler 12. ln the meantime the port 59 will continuously exhaust through the passages 59, 60, G1, 2G, 22 and 32 until the exhaust port is cut oft or closed by the inner side oit' the idler or valve 12, which closing begins substantially at the point of the circle indicated at (33; thus the crescentshaped chamber will be continuously supplied with live steam during the rotation ot the valve 5S trom the point Gel; up to substantially the point (33 and the space in advance oit the piston 4T will continuously exhaust the air or steam through the port 59 until said port is closed` as aforesaid. That portion of the steam space labeled 1l will not therefore be exhausted until the exhaust port 59 reaches said space 111-., which happens about the same moment that the port 58 is being closed to be re-opened on the opposite side ttor the purpose ot creating, as itI were, a new crescent-shaped live steam chamber, the entire former live steam chamber being now for the moment a crescent shaped but continuously diminishing, exhaust chamber, while a new crescent-shaped live steam chamber is being formed from the position (34k to the position 63. The same operation takes place at the opposite side of the engine, but in reverse order. This maintains a perfect balance or equilibrium and prevents vibrations, due to the action ot the steam upon thc pistons; that is, when piston i-.7 is in the position ot maximum effectiveness, as it is shown in Fig. 2, or in the widest part ot the crescent-shaped steam chamber, the opposite piston 4:8 is at the zero or cut-ott point where it is not acted upon at all. In other words, as the exposed area of the one piston increases the corresponding area ot the opposite piston decreases to a like extent. The net result is that the two pistons combined give the engine a uni-form power at all times equal. to the maximum driving capacity ot one ot its pistons when its tull area exposed to the steam torce while it is in the position shown in Figs. l and 2.

By the gradual contraction oi" the live steam space in the rear ot the piston until the apex-a more point or threadrcs mains a re-acting end for the steam chamber. the torce of re-action is diverted or wedged int-o directions which are lateral. to the path ot the piston. As a consequence said rc-acting torce is virtually converted into a load imposed upon the axes ot `flywheel and idlcr,a load carried, as it were, upon the wheels ot the driven vehicles, namely, the tly-nf'hecl and idler. lu the form ot a load the torce of' re-action is incatmble of acting as such in opposition to the force upon the piston, and this load is not a dead load representing the combined radial pressures exerted directly upon the bearings, because if the pressure is equally distributed at all points throughout the steam chamber the pressure will represent a number of lines of forces acting radially, and these lines of forces will to some extent oppose each other or represent parallelograms of forces, and where these radial forces are directly opposed to each other they will entirely nullify each other. After the piston has reached its vertical position the steam chamber in the rear of the piston will have divergent instead of convergent walls, but while this divergent part of the walls of the steam chamber does not operate to deflect. the reaction laterally, as does the convergent part, this does not affect the operation for the convergent part, and as the divergent part increases the forces of action and reaction decrease to a like extent so far as the working of the piston is concerned. By placing the pistons in opposition so that the one piston constantly increases in effectiveness while the other decreases in power to a like extent the combined power of the two pistons is at all times substantially equal to the maximum driving capacity of one of the pistons, as when its ent-ire active area is exposed to the steam pressure.

In the above-described construction of engine, the well known difliculties of friction and steam-leakages between the abutnumt or piston and the walls of the steam expansion chamber, are entirely obviated. In the present invention the only friction and wear imposed upon or by the piston is thatV slight one oc fasioned by the limited longitudinal or sliding movement in the cylindrical bearings and the latters almost insignificant rotary movements. The friction created between the sides of the idlers and their side plates on the one side and web of fly wheel on the other, is merely that occasioned by the slight disaline-uicnt and realinement of the piston with the center of the idler, as otherwise the idler and fly wheel move together. Between the outer casing walls and the rotating parts there is or need be no friction whatever. The only remaining wearing parts areI the shaft-bearings common to all engines and the bearings for the idlers. The idler-bearings occupy such a position in the general construction that they may conveniently be made as large or strong as necessary.

To the shaft 1G are keyed a pair of. collars G7 and GS for which recesses are made in the bearings G and 7. The collars fill these recesses and neutralize any endwise pressure produced on the shaft by the steam, by trai'lsmitting the pressure in both directions to the shaft.

The improvements described in the foregoing provide a solid shaft, instead of the usual hollow one through which steam is admitted in this type of engine; the fly-wheel, or outer cylinder within which the idler, 'core or inner cylinder is mounted, is keyed to the solid shaft by means of a hub integral with the equivalent of the spokes connecting such hub with the rim of the flywheel cylinder, and the spokes in this case are in the form of a solid web which contains the steam-ports. In the present invention the fly-wheel cylinder has no bearings other than the bearings of the solid shaft with which said ily-wheel, web, and hub are substantially one member. The bearings of said solid shaft are not interiorly located so as to be inaccessible to oiling means in the usual way. The outer sidesl of my drum-shaped fly-wheel cylinder do not contact withany other part. 'Ihe small shaft made possible by leaving the shaft solid eliminates considerable friction by reason of its small number of surface inches covered by bearings and thereby facilitates a high engine speed. By reason of the fly wheel cylinder rotating on the shaftbearings only the life of the engine is greatly prolonged. None of the bearings are exposed to the steam,which is a vital improvement over constructions which have their bearings so exposed. In the present construction power may also be taken from either end of the shaft which is concentric with the rim of the fly-wheel cylinder.

The bearings for the idlers, cores, or inner rings between which and the iiy wheel cylinder are arranged the usual pistons or abutments are on the outer surfaces of the inwardly projecting hubs S and 9 on the casing sides andare therefore not exposed to the steam passing within said hubs. The only friction parts, other than said bearings, are between the packing rings, at the sides of the idlers, and the side-walls within the fly-wheel cylinder, (but a's the movements between these parts are very limited this amounts to but very little) and between the packing shoes 4t2 and the inner periphery of the fly wheel. On the idler roller bearings heavy oil or grease may be maintained because no steam enters the outer casing. As an inclosure of the fly wheel the casing may be omitted entirely without affecting the operation of my engine, and if only the shaft-bearing and steam-inlet porhub with the inner periphery of said cylinder, a steam space and passage in said web, an idler within said cylinder, a bearing'- member having' Separate bearings thereon for said Cylinder and idler, and steam-operated means for rotating' said Cylinder and idler.

2. The combination with a {1y-wheel cylinder havingl a hub and a spoke connection between the periphery of said cylinder and said huh, said spoke Connection being' in the forni of a web dividing the interior of said cylinder into two Chambers, an idler eccentrieaily mounted within each oi' said Chambers, a driving-shaft to which said hub is keyed, a support having* hearings therein, separate bearings on said support for said shaft and said idiers, and steam actuating means for rotating said Cylinder and idlers.

3. rlhe combination with a stationary easing' and engine support, of driving-shaft and idler-roller-hearings forming a substantiaily integral part of said easing', a solid driving' shaft, a flywheel cylinder having a web and a huh keyed to said driving' shaft, steam-spaces within said Cyiinder, idiers within said Cylinder, pistons Connecting` said idlers with` said Cylinder', and means for introducing' steam to said steam-spaces, and for exhausting' steam from said steamspaces.

4. rlhe combination with the driving shaft, of a support having bearings therein for said shaft, a fly-wheel cylinder having its axis keyed to said shaft, said Cylinder having' spaces for idiers therein, roller-hearings for said idlers mounted eceentrieally to the axis o" said Cylinder, said roller-hearings forming a part of said easing', and steanr actuated driving' means for said Cylinder and idiers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. OLSEN. 'Vitnesses J. WV. Enoks'rnoir, M. C. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

